January 2025 Part 1

 

January 2025 Part 1

The first post of the New Year with hope trying to spring a surprise on us. Even so there are events planned to keep the posts flowing with optimism that the weather will play ball with fine, warm weather. We have arrived in Delhi for Christmas with Gita’s mother and sister and the grandkids. There was the Christmas build up with last minute present buying and festivities Indian style. Chinmoy and Lakhu arrived for a few days to meet Isaac, Ivy and the children. It was just like Christmas sharing gifts and there was still a week to go.

 

The next day there was a group visit to the Red Fort. Gita and I had to pay extra for being foreigners. There was a Christmas carnival at the Club across the road from where were staying. Great for the kids with bouncy castle, train rides and trampoline. That evening we were all together playing sitars, singing and reciting poetry. There was not enough room for dancing. It was a very special gathering. The next day Chinmoy and Lakhu depart back  to Guwahati after visits to a number of markets.

Christmas   was spent in the usual child lead mayhem and a buffet meal at the Eros hotel.

 Boxing day was a visit to the nearest Mall for children to play on the facilities there. On the 27^th Ivy, Isaac and children fly off to Goa and we fly off to Dibrughar and have more family engagement in Nazira. We were collected by Bharti, Gita’s elder brother and taken to the family home where Gita was born. Just ready for an early night when Gita’s other brothers and wives unexpectedly arrive. Christmas continues. Over the next few days we were on the Ahom people heritage trail visiting ceremonial palaces, temples, shrines and burial mounds near Nazira where Gita went to school and Sivasagar where she went to university. 

Over the next few days I had my best fun so far in getting Bharti’s eldest son, Rishi’s,  Hero Honda running. It was the one I rode on a family visit in 2014. I didn’t do much as I kept my hands mostly clean. As it had been standing some time it would not run and I diagnosed a carburettor problem that needed a removal and strip on the carburettor. It turned out to be a stuck diaphragm piston. With some persistence I got it free and a bit longer to make it smooth in operation Rishi assembled it.

It started and ran with choke but was not right.  It needed a little fettling, a touch more enrichment of the mixture and a tad more throttle it would start cold without doing  any more than a prod of the kick start. It ran well with no smoke from the exhaust showing all was in good condition. The reason is the atmosphere in Assam is very damp.

During this time of the year washing does not dry after 3pm and it is dark by 6pm. It just does not dry overnight so any ingress of moisture causes corrosion very quickly. The float needle was stuck because of this. To prove the point that it had been a successful job Bharti wheeled out the bike next morning and it started first kick with no fiddling. Rishi had learned allot from me as he did the work and I was

 pleased to do something useful.

Gita’s brothers and wives departed  for home in Guwahati and we soon  travelled to our next location,Bamunbarrie, and Chinmoy and Husky.

JC  January 27^th 2025